Clinton says argument can be made Assad a war criminal

U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton said on Tuesday that an argument could be made that Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad is a war criminal.

"There would be an argument to be made that he would fit into that category," Clinton told a Senate committee hearing, responding to a senator's question as to whether Assad could be called a war criminal. But she added that using such labels "limits options to persuade leaders to step down from power."

The UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights earlier called on Syria to end all fighting, allow international monitors into the country and given unhindered access for aid agencies to enter Homs and other embattled cities.

Speaking at an urgent meeting of UN Human Rights Council, Navi Pillay also urged the Syrian government to release all political prisoners and others who had been arbitrarily detained.

"The government must launch prompt, independent and impartial investigations in accordance with international standards to end impunity, ensure accountability, bring perpetrators to justice and to take measures to ensure adequate effective and prompt reparation for the victims," Pillay said.

Nassir Abdulaziz Al Nasser, the President of the UN's  General Assembly, expressed concern over the "use of tanks, rockets and artilleries by the Syrian authorities against civilians."

He demanded an immediate cessations of hostilities: "The Syrian authorities must immediately end the killings and halt all human rights violations," he said.

A senior US diplomat said the time had come for nations to stop all financial and material support to Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime, a dig at Russia, which has long sold arms to Damascus and together with China has used its Security Council veto to block international action on Syria.

"None can deny that Bashar al-Assad and his criminal cohort are waging a brutal campaign of slaughter, bombardment, torture, and arrest that already  has murdered thousands of women, men and children, with more killed each day," said Esther Brimmer, the US Assistant Secretary of State for International Organisation Affairs.

"Without a halt to the killing and a guarantee of immediate humanitarian access, this despicable government will murder many more before this heinous chapter in Syria's history is over," she said.

Members of the council are expected to pass a resolution later on Tuesday condemning "widespread and systematic violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms by the Syrian authorities."

A draft resolution supported by many Arab and Western nations says the Syrian regime's use of heavy artillery and tanks to attack civilian areas has contributed to the deaths of thousands.

While the resolution is not expected to include a reference to the calls for Syria to be referred to the International Criminal Court, diplomats have indicated that this issue will be revisited next month.

On anther note, Syria earlier called for countries to stop "inciting sectarianism and providing arms" to opposition forces in the country, and charged that sanctions imposed by some countries were preventing Damascus from buying medicines and fuel.   

Faysal Khabbaz Hamoui, Syria's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, stormed out of the U.N. Human Rights Council after delivering an angry speech to the Geneva forum's emergency debate on the deteriorating situation in Syria called at the request of Gulf countries and Turkey, and backed by the West.   

"We reaffirm to all those alleged friends of the Syrian people that the simple step to immediately help the Syrian people is to stop inciting sectarianism, providing arms and weapons and funding and putting the Syrian people one against the other," Khabbaz Hamoui said.    "

Unjust and unilateral sanctions imposed by some countries on the Syrian people are preventing access to medicines, to fuel in all forms as well as electricity, and are also impeding bank transfers to buy these materials," he said.

Reuters